Fly Away
by stevenlu
Summary: Will you fly away, Renton, Holland? Or will you seize the day? RentoReka, HollandTalho, rated T for language and violence.
1. Chapter 1: Gone, Switchfoot

Fly Away

**Disclaimer**: Yo, I don't own Eureka Seven. It belongs to some other guys, so don't sue please.

**Note**: Hey, I used to be Fruit is NOT a Dessert, but I quit writing fan fics for a while because of the loads of homework I was getting. But now school's ending and summer's starting! So, uh…hope you like this one.

**Start Chapter 1.**

Crumpled sheets of note paper and empty soda cans littered Stoner's studio. The middle-aged man sat before a small desk matted with previous issues of _rayout_ magazine and a collage of photos of the crew of Gekko State. He tilted his hat down and stroked his moustache.

A screen of light flooded his dark room as the door opened. Matthieu approached Stoner slowly and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, you've been in here all day…the others are worried, Stoner. What's up?"

Stoner tilted his head back casually. As the man in charge of publishing _rayout_, he had neither the energy of the pilots nor the technical minds of the engineers—thus, the relaxed attitude. His gaze wandered to the door, past Matthieu's thin frame. Three small heads quickly hid behind the door frame.

"Matthieu, have you seen how the latest issue of _rayout_ is doing?"

"Huh? You mean the one with Renton's phony mission?" Matthieu burst into a silent chuckle, recalling the previous week's activities. "What about it?"

"We've sent over nine thousand issues in just one week. That's twice as much as any issue before. And…" Matthieu glimpsed the weariness in Stoner's eyes. "…we've received three times as much fan mail as ever before."

Matthieu's eyes were directed to a corner of the studio. Stacks upon stacks of letters crowded the space, threatening to topple and bury everything around them. Some had been opened and read—the others remained untouched.

"Holy cow, man! What's all the buzz?"

Stoner got up and dragged himself to the stacks. He picked out a random letter, unsealed it, and handed it over to Matthieu, who read it aloud:

"Dear Gekko State, I loved the latest issue of _rayout_. The reffing tips and boards were great, the interviews rocked, and the stories about the U.F. were enlightening. What especially ruled, however, was the cover story—Renton Thurston's mission! It was so touching when he talked about protecting Eureka—and without knowing that others were listening! What a kid! Maybe, in the next issue, more about his relationship with Eureka could be shared with subscribers?"

Before Matthieu could say more, Stoner handed him another letter:

"Hey, Gekko State, _rayout_ rocked this month. Tell us more about Renton and Eureka, okay? They would make a nice couple. Peace out, dawgs."

"All of them?" asked Matthieu.

Stoner nodded grimly.

Matthieu was hesitant. "What…did the leader say about all this? What did Holland say?"

"Let's see, eh…first, he got real mad about diverting attention from the real purpose of _rayout_. Told me to focus more on the wrongdoings of the military and everything. Next, he didn't like the idea of using Renton on the cover. Hates the kid. When he read a few of the fan letters about Eureka, he blew the final fuse." Stoner lifted the back of his shirt, showing a cluster of fresh bruises.

Matthieu winced. "So you're wondering about what to do for the next issue?"

"Yep. Tough stuff."

"I'll say. On one hand, you've gotta please the subscribers or else they'll lose interest in Gekko State's doings. On the other, Holland doesn't want Renton anywhere near Eureka—or even on the ship."

"Yep."

-

The Nirvash swerved off the sudden eruption of Trapar, or Transparence Light Particles, leaving a dash of vivid purple energy behind its board. As the Nirvash rocked itself forward at breakneck velocity, three enemy LFOs kept in close pursuit.

Opposed to the grand form of the Nirvash typeZERO, the enemy robots were simple KLFs, the standard combat type the military used. Clunky, unstylish, and coated with blue and black paint, the KLFs were diminished by the Nirvash in size, power, and design.

It was a colossal human-shaped robot, white in color with traces of red and teal. The board it rode, called a ref board, was like a surfboard. Engineered to near perfection, the Nirvash's ref board was more than capable of catching gusts of Trapar to surf, or "Ref", the skies. The Nirvash's wrists contained extendable knives and a shoulder-mounted beam cannon capable of ripping through the hardest alloys. It was plated with a metallic material that allowed easy flexibility and defense against enemy weapons.

There was one cockpit located at the head of Nirvash and an attachment pod next to it, housing the secondary pilot.

_Zhhhhhhh…_ A barrage of homing missiles exploded from the KLFs, heading straight toward the Nirvash. An upward rush of Trapar allowed the Nirvash to grab the tip of its board and spiral to the skies—the homing missiles collided with one another, exploding harmlessly below. Concealed in the smoke, the three military KLFs prepared to fire again.

Aboard the Nirvash, two pilots prepared the "Cut-Back Drop-Turn" technique. A soft female voice cried, "Ready…go! Cut-Back…Drop-Turn!"

The Nirvash flipped backward and launched itself back down, twisting enough to maintain a solid grip on its board. The Trapar carried the Nirvash in the direction of the three KLFs. Before they could respond, the Nirvash had taken out its pair of boomerang knives and cleanly slashed its enemies down. The KLFs were nothing but broken pieces and slain pilots.

As the Nirvash holstered its knives, a video transmission arrived at the cockpit. Seated in the seat was a turquoise-haired girl, Eureka. She possessed enigmatic purple eyes, fair pastel skin, and a slim body. Eureka put the transmission on free speaker, allowing connection with the attachment pod beside her.

Aboard the screen appeared a man with gray hair and a small moustache. Although his blue eyes were deep with experience and his hair was pure gray—an inherited trait—he wasn't nearly as old as he appeared, nearing 30 years old. He was Holland Novak, leader of Gekko State. He stared at Eureka and said, "Nice work, Eureka. The installation is only two miles ahead. Matthieu and I are going with you. The objective is to capture the information bay. Understand, Eureka?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Alright, let's go! Prepare for—"

A new voice interrupted Holland. It belonged to a boy and was slightly high-pitched. "Uh…excuse me, Holland. Why are we doing this mission? We could possibly run into—"

The screen shook as Holland pounded his control panel. "Renton, we've been over this before! We're doing this because we need the money to support Gekko State. With me around, there won't be any problem regarding _that_!"

"But—"

"Renton!" barked Holland. The screen turned black. Eureka turned to her right and brought up a video connection with Renton. He immediately looked at her, blushed, and looked down at his panel. From his seat, he felt the burden of Holland's temper and Eureka's distance. Although he was only a few feet away from her, her empty stare seemed to gaze past him.

"Eureka?"

"Holland and Matthieu are coming," she said detachedly. Renton glanced behind and saw two approaching LFOs, the magenta TR-909 and Matthieu's TR-606. The two machines quickly sped up alongside the Nirvash.

Eureka opened up communications. "Matthieu?"

"Yo! How are you, Eureka?"

"…I'm healthy."

Matthieu gave an awkward look at the screen, but quickly recovered. "Okay, Holland's drawing up the schematics for the installation. You should have them up on your screen. We're going to surround the place and provide cover fire as the Nirvash gets into the information bay. Ready?"

"Roger!" said Eureka. She grasped onto the controls of the Nirvash and swirled above the other two LFOs. The 909 and 606 broke out ahead, riding the Trapar coolly.

Renton looked out his window. Flowing alongside the Nirvash was a school of sky fish, the one animal species most connected to the Trapar waves. They were small and numerous, resembling colorful sheets of folded paper. Smiling, Renton recalled watching the few sky fish back at his hometown of Bellforest. Wherever there were good or happy thoughts, there were sky fish.

"Oh!" he exclaimed. The sky fish were veering off, away from the direction they were heading. It seemed like an invisible barrier was erected. _Something could be wrong…_he thought.

Up ahead, the 909 and the 606 had begun raining bullets onto the military installation. It was a typical U.F. base: white, drab, and protected by several turrets. Holland appeared on Eureka's screen. "Eureka! Now's your chance. Go!"

"Holland," objected Renton. "I think something's wrong."

The leader of Gekko State scoffed silently. "What could go wrong?"

"There's no sky fish! They all just wandered away!"

"Sky fish, eh…you're pretty pesky, kid."

"But the sky fish!" he cried indignantly. "They wouldn't run away if something bad wasn't gonna happen! Holland! I'm completely serious—" The transmission was cut. The 909 and the 606 were moving along the ridge of the installation, blasting off all turrets.

_Dammit… _Renton looked to Eureka, but found no compassion. She was too focused on the mission, guiding the Nirvash away from turret fire. A beeping on the screen indicated that they were nearing the information bay.

"There it is, Eureka!" Renton pointed out the small, domed building. The perimeter was empty, void of any presence. Renton looked at the Trapar density data: the numbers were decreasing rapidly. "Hey, Eureka…don't you sense that something is wrong?"

She looked through the video screen at him, smiling. "No, Holland said so."

_BOOM!_

In but an instant, the entire floor was on flames and missile shells were scattered across the landscape. The information bay had been shot at as well—it was in ruins. The whining sound of mobile KLFs was evident behind the Nirvash. Understanding the immediate danger, Eureka moved the Nirvash to the side, narrowly evading the next barrage of missiles.

_BOOM!_

"_Eureka!_" shouted Renton into his intercom. "Are you okay?"

"I'm…okay," she managed to gasp. "Where's Holland?"

Renton scanned the skies and saw nothing. More gunfire was heard in the distance. "He's probably engaging the other KLFs. Right now, your safety is our number one priority! We have to get out of the airspace immediately. Let's go, Eureka, Nirvash!"

_That's right,_ Renton reminded himself. _You said you would protect her. You promised to protect Eureka, the strange girl that appeared in Bellforest. You don't know why, but you feel like you want to—like you need to. So…hold to your promise…Renton!_

Eureka nodded. "Let's go!"

Because of the lack of Trapar in the area, the Nirvash was forced to stay on the ground for a while, sliding across the ground. Enemy units were everywhere, firing volley after volley of bullets, missiles, and laser beams. Renton flinched as another direct hit to the Nirvash armor shook the machine—cockpit and attachment pod included.

He glanced back down at the Trapar density. The numbers were nearing optimum reffing level. "Eureka! We should be able to get up in the air soon. Just keep going!"

"Roger!" she cried, making a sharp turn to avoid the appearance of another platoon of KLFs. Renton was hurled to the wall of his pod. Right as he got back into his seat, the Nirvash propelled up with a momentary rocket boost and drew out its reffing board. It was riding the Trapar in no time.

"Alright, Eureka!" Renton began configuring the conditions of the Nirvash. It had taken several hard hits to the rear, but there was minimal damage to the front. However, one thing bothered him. The scanning showed several minor bullet impairments on the head of the Nirvash, namely near the cockpit. _Could they be aiming for…?_

In the distance, Renton saw a differently shaped LFO. He peered into the telescope and saw a model he couldn't recognize. Contrary to the standard human shape of most LFOs, it resembled a spider more or less. The LFO was entirely white, reflecting sunlight into his lens. It was airborne, but not moving—no ref board was present.

"Renton…" called Eureka. "What's that?"

"I don't know, but it's in our way. Seems like it's waiting…" Renton bit his lip. "We can't go back; there's at least three entire platoons of KLFs back there. Press on, Eureka!"

Suddenly, a loud crack rang in Renton's ears. It was accompanied by the shrill sound of cracking glass and a high-pitched scream. He looked over at the cockpit—the glass had shattered. Flustered, Renton ran over to the window. A small blue speck was falling down.

"EUREKA!" He watched hopelessly as the speck dropped further and further…more whining sounds echoed in the atmosphere. Down below, two LFOs were closing in on the falling Eureka. "Holland! Matthieu!"

However, the unidentified LFO was approaching as well. Rather than reffing through the skies, it glided. How it could happen, Renton did not know. What he did know was that it was approaching Eureka faster than the 909 and 606. He saw the weapons hatches from the 909 and the 606 open, then close. Clearly, firing at the other LFO would mean potentially harming Eureka.

Renton watched in horror as the spider-like machine grabbed Eureka's body, pivoted, and sped away. A clean catch. He watched as it disappeared into the horizon.

Renton pounded the wall of the attachment pod. "Dammit! Why can't I do anything at a time like this? Why am I so powerless?"

The communications screen lit and Holland's face appeared. He sported several new cuts and bruises, many of them bleeding. "Renton. Matthieu's bringing the Nirvash back to the Gekko-Go. I'm gonna go after that other LFO. When you and Matthieu get back, I want you to brief everybody on what just happened."

"Yeah…I will."

_Renton, you idiot. What was all that about protecting Eureka? Weren't you going to protect this girl at all costs? Weren't you going to be her support?_

Renton slouched into his seat as he watched Holland's magenta TR-909 give pursuit to the other LFO. "Eureka…I promise, we'll save you."

**End Chapter 1.**


	2. Chapter 2: Lonely Day, Phantom Planet

Fly Away

**Note:** I'll be away for around three weeks, so I felt like I had to post this before I left. Enjoy! Oh, and thanks for the reviews...and sorry I couldn't include any Talho in this chapter. Chapter 3 will have Talho, I promise!

**Another Note:** All constructive criticism, flames, and "zomg i cant believe u didnt include this"s appreciated. Feedback is always good, because I like to know what I'm doing wrong with my writing. So thanks!

**Start Chapter 2.**

"Eureka, (A/N: Yoo-ree-kuh…) it's finished!" said Stoner triumphantly, holding up a sheet of paper. It was entitled "Funny Pages Volume 4."

He folded his arms behind his back and yawned, knocking over a cup of coffee on accident. "Oh snap!" He hurriedly picked up the cup and rushed to save his documents from the black liquid. It scorched his hands. "Ah, hot, hot, hot, hot, HOT!" he howled.

A pair of footsteps quickly ran into his studio. It was Moondoggie, the newest member of Gekko State before Renton. Only 16 years old, he had blonde hair and a relatively fair complexion. He wore baggy white pants, something the other members often ridiculed him for. "Stoner, are you okay?"

It took the publisher of _rayout_ a few minutes to recover his documents. He turned around calmly and sighed. "Whew. I didn't lose the new article." He held up the sheet of paper, covered with spidery black ink. Grinning, Stoner gave it to Moondoggie. "Read it?"

"Er—okay, Stoner…" As he deciphered the handwriting, his worried look transformed into one of good humor. Before long, he was rolling on the floor laughing. "Ahahahah…hoohoohoo…heehee…"

"How is it, Doggie?"

Moondoggie popped to his feet and returned the paper. "Hi-la-rious! …Just don't show it to the leader when he comes back, eh? He's been fuming since this morning—seems like something happened between him and Talho. Just between you and me, I think he's worried about Renton getting too attached to Eureka. After all, she _has_ been the leader's favorite since Gekko State was formed."

"If you ask me," said Stoner, "I think Holland's just going through the regular new-member phase. Since you're new here, you probably don't know this, Doggie. Whenever someone joins Gekko State, Holland always acts a bit strangely. Don't know why though, but we've gotten used to it."

"Odd behavior…" commented Moondoggie. He recollected a few memories about his first day on board the Gekko-Go, when he first met Gidget. The two had gotten along until Holland had caught the couple kissing in the catapult control room. He still had the scars on his back—marks closely resembling the ones hidden beneath Stoner's shirt.

"Yeah…but that's the leader for ya. Seems like he hasn't really grown up, even after leaving the U.F. with Talho and Eureka to combat the military. Despite his occasional childishness, Holland's still a capable leader of Gekko State."

"And one of the best reffers around, isn't that right, Stoner?" intruded Hap, who stood at the door. Hap was the second in command of the Gekko-Go and Holland's childhood friend. "A legend."

Stoner and Moondoggie nodded solemnly. "A legend."

"Anyways," said Hap. "Doggie, I need you on deck. Something happened with the mission—a whole lot of something. The Nirvash is battered and has its cockpit window shattered, Eureka is gone, and Holland has gone out by himself to rescue her."

"What! How are Renton and Matthieu?"

"They're boarding the Gekko-Go right now. Seems like the 606 can't carry the Nirvash much longer. That's why I need you to open the hatch to let 'em in. Got it, Doggie?"

The teenager saluted smartly. "Aye aye!"

-

Matthieu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and jumped out of the dual cockpit of the TR-606. The orange LFO Terminus typeR606, bashed and dented from the fight, stared down at him. Matthieu, the lackadaisical dark-skinned pilot of the 606, swept his hand caringly over the 606's sleek leg.

He sighted Jobs analyzing the damage taken to the Nirvash typeZERO and waltzed over. "Hey Jobs, what's the condition of the Nirvash?"

"The entire frame has taken enough hits to take down any ordinary LFO. However, it seems as if the vital sectors and hardware weren't damaged. It will take at least two weeks to repair the armor and even then, the Nirvash won't be as sturdy as before. That's if we don't upgrade the shell. Seeing how thin Gekko State's funds are at the moment, it's unlikely."

"How 'bout the cockpit?"

Jobs gestured at a cylindrical piece of gleaming metal resting on the floor. Its size could be compared to an umbrella and it was pointed at one end. The code "SH-102" was painted on the side in yellow. "That's the bullet that pierced the wind shield of the Nirvash," Jobs explained. "It's not the standard size and is a lot lighter. The tip is compact with dormant hydrogen ions capable of creating extremely concentrated impact with its target."

"So…what about it?" asked Matthieu with a shrug.

"It's lightweight, so that means that it was meant to travel extensive distances. The hydrogen ions means that it was meant to fire at specific points on a target with strong force. So…"

"Aha! It's a sniper bullet."

Jobs gave an approving nod, pushing his glasses up. "Precisely. I'll need you to tell me what happened at the installation with this unknown LFO, Matthieu. What do you recall of it?"

"Well…" Matthieu fingered his chin pensively and closed his eyes in deep concentration. After a few moments of mental struggling, he looked back at Jobs with a blank expression. "It was white, fast, and didn't use a ref board. Nothing else I can think of."

"Very well. I'll go ask Renton for more details. I'm sure he could see more from the Nirvash than you could. Do you know where he is?"

Matthieu shook his head. "Nope, haven't laid eyes on him since we got back on the Gekko-Go. I'm betting that he went to the storage room or he's in the kitchen. I'll go check."

"Thank you."

-

Renton walked out of the storage room into the living room with a bag of potato chips. Nearly the entire crew was in the living room, enjoying themselves. Moondoggie and Gidget were listening to music with shared earphones, the kids were playing some card game, and the others were crowded around a television, playing video games.

He trudged across the room, his mind still processing the events that had just happened. _The mission was going as planned, when we were ambushed by several KLFs, even though I warned Holland about it…Holland! If only he had listened…if only Eureka had listened!_

"Yo, Renton," called Stoner. "You wanna check out the new GameStation? We have Ref-180, Ref-180 MAX, and Advance Combat: Terminus. All multiplayer!"

Renton glanced at the screen and turned back, choosing to ignore him. _These guys! Eureka's in danger and they're—they're, what?—playing video games! Is this how Gekko State treats its members?_

"Oy! Renton!"

_They don't care about Eureka…and Holland's out there alone. She's in danger! What should I do? I need to protect her! These guys won't do anything…they're playing video games!_

"Renton!"

He turned around again—it was Matthieu. "Huh?"

"Jobs wants you on deck. He wants you to tie up some loose ends 'bout the white LFO."

_A chance to help!_ Renton nodded, pivoted, and burst straight for the dock. His feet carried him around the many corners of the Gekko-Go's interior and sent him rocketing down the open halls. He arrived in half a minute, an extraordinary record. He approached Jobs and, between fatigued panting, said: "I'm here."

Jobs revealed a composed smile. "That was quick, Renton."

"What can…" He took a huge breath and exhaled. "…can I help with?"

"The white LFO. Matthieu wasn't too keen on the details because of the angle he was at. All he could tell me was that it was white, fast, and board-less. Is there anything else you can recall?"

"When we first saw it, it was quite far away—at least three aerial miles away. After that, it seemed to almost teleport to where Eureka was falling. Really, really fast. It was probably faster than I've ever seen the Nirvash or the Terminuses go. From what I could see, there weren't any weapons aside from whatever it shot us with; I couldn't see any secondary weapons slot or turret hatches."

"Anything else?" inquired Jobs.

"Yeah, its shape was pretty odd as well. It wasn't humanoid like all other LFOs, the ones based on the structure of the typeZERO."

Jobs looked curious. "Go on."

"The LFO was somewhat shaped like a spider, just without the eight legs—it had a pincer-like thing it used to grab Eureka. It was also segmented, with the top half a little ahead of the bottom. I could see this when it reached out to capture Eureka from the sky. As it turned to run away from the 909 and 606, the top half rotated 180 degrees back before the bottom could even move."

"A two-part LFO…interesting…" remarked Jobs, recording the information in a notebook.

"And about the way it flew…it was like reffing, only without the board. I could see Trapar particles flying behind it, so I guess the LFO was riding the waves as well. However, the absence of a board would mean that it wouldn't be able to get a strong hold of the Trapar, right?"

"No, that's not necessarily true, Renton. Back when humans still lived on Earth, there was a popular sport called surfing. People would get boards and ride on waves of water along a giant pool of water known as the "ocean," very similar to the concept of reffing. Later, they figured out that the same thing could be done in the air using strong gusts of wind. Instead of riding boards, they used large wings to catch the drifts, creating an activity eventually known as hang gliding."

"Ah…but wouldn't the wings have to be large enough to support the frame of its object? In the case of a large-scale LFO, they would have to be enormous. In addition, the velocity of the Trapar could easily the wings off, so they would have to be attached very sturdily."

"Unfortunately, I can't draw any conclusions about that. Not bad though, Renton. You're pretty smart."

His cheeks went a light pink. "Only about LFOs…Grampa taught me well."

"Okay, you've told me all I need to know. Thanks for the help."

"No problem." As Jobs headed in the opposite direction, Renton asked, "What are you gonna do about Eureka? Isn't she in danger?"

Just then, Matthieu appeared in the LFO garage. "There's no need. Holland's out there and he's going to get Eureka back."

"Holland? But it's—"

"It's Holland, our leader," said Matthieu, "And we have faith in him. Holland's never let Gekko State down, let alone Eureka. He'll come back alright, no matter what it takes."

"Wait! Isn't it dangerous? I mean…for Eureka…"

"Just wait a while and you'll be able to see Eureka again, eh?" Matthieu winked and walked to his 606. Renton perceived a trace of sadness in his eyes as he leaned against the machine.

"It's true, Renton. Holland Novak is one of the best reffers and fighters in the world—ever. You can trust our leader to get his tasks done. Every mission that Gekko State has taken always has to be approved to be safe for all of us by him. Holland Novak never abandons his partners or friends," explained Jobs.

Renton hung his head low, debating whether or not to argue. It was true that Holland seemed like the trustworthy type and he _was_ the leader of Gekko State. _But he disregarded my warning earlier! Who knows if maybe he's just having a bad day and something bad will happen?_

"Jobs!" beckoned Matthieu.

"Yes?"

"How long will it be before I can ride in the 606? It looks pretty battered up."

"It's fine. You didn't take too many shots—just a few missile collisions to the left shoulder. Otherwise, it's in useable form, although you probably shouldn't ride in it until I can repair the armor, which will take around half a week."

"—But it's still useable, right?" intruded Renton.

"Yes."

"How about the 808?"

"It's operational, although deploying it right now is not a wise choice. Until Holland comes back, the 808 is our only battle-functional LFO—if we get attacked, we'll need it. Matthieu's LFO isn't fit for direct combat right now—a few direct hits and it will be reduced to scraps."

"At least it'll be okay soon. What a relief," said Matthieu. "I'm going back to the living room. You should come too, Renton. Worrying over Eureka right now isn't good for you. Just relax—you'll be reunited with your loved one in no time…but I have to get back to my Honey."

"Hey!" he shouted heatedly. "I don't—"

Matthieu grinned. "Whatever." He exited.

"Well, Renton…I need to go back to my room to organize the data. Thanks again for the help," said Jobs as soon as Matthieu had left. He exited through the same door.

Renton looked through the corner of his eye, making sure that Jobs had left. He waited five minutes and then…

-

Behind the steel door, two men whispered to one another. One wore a suit and vest; the other was in a tank top and athletic shorts.

"You think he'll do it?"

"I expect that he will."

"Should we stop him?"

"No, Matthieu. This is not our concern, it's Renton's."

"But he's gonna take my LFO!"

"No worries. Renton already knows about its condition. He won't do anything reckless with it."

An audible sigh. "Oh well. Looks like Holland's gonna have to look after two kids now. I hope they all make it back…hey, there he goes. Nice handling!"

Jobs chuckled. "Holland's going to have quit a bit of fun."

-

"Damn…this isn't fun!" cursed the leader of Gekko State, wiping blood from his cheek. He whipped the 909 violently to the right, narrowly avoiding another shot from his opponent. "What the hell…he's still shooting me from behind."

Cruising the sky next to Holland was the white LFO. It was segmented into two halves. Trapar sparks flew out from the top half; the shots were being fired from the rotating bottom half. "Aha! The top part flies and the bottom shoots." He fired his shoulder-mounted laser at the top half to no avail—the white LFO dodged it easily and zipped off again.

The 909 was beginning to get shaky. Its balance on the ref board was strained.

"I'm gonna lose this one, huh…" Another shot came from behind, this time knocking off his laser cannon. Holland cringed as his cockpit was rattled again. "How's that thing so fast? These sniping shots are damn annoying."

Another close shot, this time skimming the 909's right leg.

"Calm down…clear your mind…assess the situation…" he recited. "Calm down…clear your mind…assess the situation…assess it…"

_BOOM!_ A direct hit. Holland's entire body lurched forward—his head smashed against the video screen, spilling crimson all over it. "…I can't give up…Eureka…wait, I'll—I'll save you!"

As he groped the controls to sit back up, the screen lit up. He looked down at the transmissions log. Spelled out in small red font was "Incoming video transmission: Terminus typeR606." Behind the mess on the monitor, he made out Renton's visage.

"Renton!"

"I'm here to help you save Eureka."

_Determined kid…he's definitely the son of Adrock._ "Has the enemy spotted you yet?"

"No, I'm stabilizing outside of visual range. How's Eureka?"

"She's inside the LFO. Listen, Renton, I need your help. The 909's in terrible condition—hell, I don't even think I can ref in this for much longer. I'm gonna rush it and board the craft myself."

Renton nodded. "You want me to distract it."

"Heh…you catch on quick. I want you to fire into the air 23 degrees from where you're standing. Then, start snaking around—just make sure that the LFO doesn't hit you. Those sniper bullets do a ton of damage. Understood?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. Don't screw up, Renton."

The 909 drew its pair of boomerang knives, the staple weapon of Terminus LFOs. Specialized for close-range devastation of other LFOs, Holland was no stranger to them. The 909 crouched down, thus increasing its speed. Holland looked to the left—large explosions.

From the clouds burst the 606. It caught the Trapar at the deepest elevations, allowing for maximum speed. Holland watched as the white LFO shifted its focus from the 909 to the approaching 606. A shot was fired, but the 606 maneuvered away from it.

"He's better with a Terminus than Matthieu is," Holland said with a smirk.

The video screen established again. "Holland! You can go now."

"Here goes nothing!" Holland piloted the 909 on a straight course to the white LFO. As the 909 reached its target, it drew the two knives to its head, pointed forward. "Now for the finishing touch…" Holland pulled a lever on the right side of his cockpit—the 909's set of list-off boosters list, rocketing it unswervingly to the white LFO.

The knives struck the outer shell and penetrated through the entire LFO. A massive eruption followed, in which shards of metal and plumes of flame burst everywhere. Amidst the commotion, Holland quickly made his way to the back of the 909 and opened a locked cabinet. From it, he drew out a submachine gun.

Holland turned off the safety of the firearm and jumped out of the 909 into the interior of the white LFO. Gun readied, he made his way up from the bottom half. "Eureka…"

"Hello, Holland," echoed a very baritone male voice. Holland scanned the shaft he was in and saw nothing; he looked up and found the silhouette of a man. Instinctively, he fired his submachine gun upward, only to see the head pop away.

A different voice, much higher, spoke next. "It looks like we have a guest, Chester. And a rather violent one at that. _O, what men dare do!_"

"There's two of you?" said Holland roughly. "I don't want to kill you both—but I will if I need to if you don't hand her back immediately."

The higher voice responded: "_And honor from th' access of gentle visitors._ We appreciate that the infamous Holland Novak has stormed our own little LFO."

"Is Eureka up there?"

"She is." It was the baritone voice.

"But you won't get her, you villain!" The _tch-tch_ of a cocked weapon sounded. "One move from you and you're mincemeat!"

Holland sighed. "Very well. I'm throwing my weapon over and coming up to your cockpit. You won't shoot an unarmed man, will you?" He tossed the submachine gun over the top of the shaft, climbed up by way of a steel ladder, put up his hands, and said, "I surrender. You got me. Now let me see Eureka."

"No," said both pilots of the white LFO.

Bullets were fired. Bam. Bam.

**End Chapter 2**


	3. Chapter 3: Pickin' It Up, Hot Hot Heat

Fly Away

**Note**: Thanks to all reviewers, especially those that gave me suggestions on improving the story. Feel free to keep flaming!

**Start Chapter 3**

Stoner, slumped against the wall of the living room, found his eyelids drooping. He yawned. Slumber was descending on him, ever so gently, so pervasively…

"Oh…the pot…" he slurred. That was it. The photographer had taken a full dose only a while ago—but could barely remember. Finally, he drifted off, dropping the stack of papers he held to his chest.

_Tip._ _Tap. Tip._ The tip-toeing trio stopped, right behind the dozing Stoner. Maeter drew out markers. Linck brandished shaving cream. Maurice held a pair of scissors. The three adoptive children of Eureka flashed mischievous smiles and began their work.

By the time two minutes had passed, snippets of his long hair were cut out, the inside of his beret was smothered with shaving cream, and a feeble attempt of drawing a moustache on the mustached man. Maeter, frustrated, began slashing at Stoner's face with blue and orange.

"Mhhr…hey…stop it! Ah! My dear Che Guevara beard!" Stoner hurtled himself upward, knocking Maeter to the side. The child tossed his markers at the photographer and began bawling.

"Stupid moustache man!" she screamed.

"Oh, perfect…" he mumbled to himself. Stoner gathered the discarded markers and returned them to Maeter. "Here. Don't cry."

She stopped.

"Now…" Stoner turned to the group. "Just because your Mama isn't here doesn't mean that you can just go and behave like this. She'll be awfully disappointed if she finds you doing this stuff to other people."

"Mama…she's coming back…right?" Maeter asked. Her eyes were growing wet again.

Stoner gave an assuring smile. "Don't worry."

"And Barfie too?" said Linck, waving his can of shaving cream. "Barfie's coming back too, right? Without Barfie, we would…"

"Barfie?" questioned Stoner. "You mean Renton's gone too?"

Linck nodded furiously. "That's why we picked on you! We got lonely!"

_This is…unbelievable!_ "Where'd he go?"

"Six oh six!"

_He took Matthieu's Terminus for the sake of rescuing Eureka, huh…this is excellent story material—the type that can put journalists in history! The ultimate love story unveils, the young hero goes through desperate measures to rescue his beloved! It's brilliant!_

Maurice held his siblings' shoulders. "Let's go. We don't wanna disappoint Mama."

"Mm!" The trio left Stoner to his thoughts.

"Now then…" mused Stoner aloud. "I think I'll get my camera and prepare for their return. It's the shot of a lifetime! …There's shaving cream in my hat."

-

The stray bullets clanged and clattered off the metallic walls, showering the atmosphere with bright orange sparks. Holland rolled to safety, glancing at the surprised looks on his opponents' faces. With the dexterity of an experienced gunman, he bent down and hit the switch for auto-fire on his submachine gun. The bullets ceased.

Still taking advantage of the shock, he leapt for the nearest pilot—a man with a heavy frame—and disabled him with a quick hit to his collar bone followed by a swift chop at his neck. Unconsciousness ensued. He positioned the slumped figure between himself and the remaining pilot—a smaller person, shorter than Holland—and held his submachine gun out from the side.

All this happened in five seconds.

"Drop your weapon before I kill your comrade!" he growled. Holland pressed forward, skillfully aligning himself away from his opponent's firing view. He heard the dropping of a firearm. "Now…kick your weapon away. Down the chute. Do it slowly…okay. Put your hands up, where I can see them."

He threw his human shield to the floor. The person standing before him was but a child, maybe fifteen or sixteen years ago. He was dressed in a black U.F. uniform that bore the emblem of an anchor with three stripes—the rank of Ensign. Holland looked closely at the patch on the left sleeve to find the letters "SOF."

_He's…part of the SOF._

The pilot chuckled mirthlessly. "Well done, well done. Nothing less could have been expected from the legend. Holland Novak. I applaud you. Your gunmanship and wits are admirable."

"Where's Eureka?"

"She's being held in the ammunitions bay. That's the bottom half of our LFO. Would you like me to go get her and bring her here, Mr. Novak?" He spoke with a casual elegance.

"No," replied the leader of Gekko State heatedly. "I'm gonna knock you unconscious, then take both of you back. I'll find Eureka on my own."

The pilot shrugged. "_Nothing will come of nothing._"

"Whatever," Holland muttered before delivering a blow to his enemy's neck. He was downed instantly. _This kid…there's something strange about him, the way he spoke…and he's SOF too. Seems like the U.F. has found some replacements for us._

Holland collected the two bodies and tied their hands to a nearby pole. He took a moment to examine the other pilot of the white LFO: he was dressed in the same uniform, another SOF soldier. This pilot was much older than his partner—already in adulthood, maybe around his mid-twenties. The nametags on each person bore the same last name: Brightside.

Holland headed off down the chute to the bottom half of the LFO and found the ammunitions bay. The door was locked from the outside. Holland unlocked it and entered to see Eureka sitting on the floor. She looked up with her purple eyes and smiled. "Holland!"

"Come on, I'll need you to help me pilot this thing." Holland offered Eureka his hand; she took it and followed Holland to the nearest cockpit.

"What should I do?" she asked.

"Try operating the controls. This LFO has two parts, a top and a bottom. You're in charge of the bottom, whose main capabilities are firing the sniper cannon and operating a claw. Good luck, Eureka."

"Roger!" She hastened to the controls.

Holland hurried up to the upper cockpit and scanned the controls. It was very similar to the Terminus, with a throttle and board interface. On the LCD screen to his side was written: "SH-102 Spearhead Sniper, Light Finding Operation. Linking with second pilot."

_Spearhead? Wasn't that the name of…_

Eureka appeared on the screen. "Holland! I'm ready."

He nodded and fastened his seat belt. The SH-102 was flying around in no time. The LFO was surprisingly easy to maneuver. The absence of a ref board wasn't a hindrance—rather, movement was much easier. He tested the LFO for a while, zooming back and forth. The speed of the machine was incredible.

A large creaking alerted him. The SH-102 suddenly shifted downward, dragged by the remains of Holland's crashed Terminus. He swore loudly. "Why didn't I get rid of that?"

The creaking grew louder and the white LFO was pulled downward several meters. _Dammit, my Terminus makes a terrible anchor. At this rate, we're gonna sink._

"Holland!" cried Eureka. "The 909 is stuck in the back of this LFO—"

"I know. We'll just have to try throwing it off before it hauls us down. Try operating the claw to move it."

Eureka gritted her teeth, leaning over the control panel. The right side was labeled "SH-102 Sniper Rifle" and the left was labeled "SH-102 Claw." Eureka recognized the contents of the panel from a training exercise she had gone through in the United Federation. She began working.

The claw extended itself from a latched opening in the LFO and made its way to the back of the LFO. Shakily, its pincers opened and latched onto the protruding leg of the 909. A slight tug revealed that the 909 was lodged quite deeply into the white LFO. A harder tug yielded no result.

"I can't get it out," she said.

Holland groaned. "No choice now. We're going to have to—"

The LFO rumbled again, this time much more forcefully. Holland was thrashed about his seat, but his seat belt held him from falling. (A/N: Remember folks….buckle up!) A force began pulling on the white LFO; Holland urged the craft upward, desperate to maintain his altitude.

"Eureka!" he called. "What was that?"

A surprised look encompassed her face. Below the claw was the yellow TR-606. It was trying to pry the 909 loose from the white LFO. Eureka pointed it out to Holland.

"Matthieu…?" she murmured softly.

The 606 flew closer to the windshields of the cockpits. Through the glass, Eureka perceived a small figure smiling and waving at her. It was Renton.

"Eureka," said Holland. The strain of maintaining the white LFO was shown in his eyes. "See if you can lower the firewall placed on this LFO's communication systems. If we want this to work, we'll need to contact Renton."

A blurry of keystrokes and Renton's face appeared on both their screens.

"Eureka! Eureka! Are you okay?" the boy asked.

"Um…yes."

"That's such a relief!" He grinned on-screen. "I'm gonna save you!"

Holland asked Renton, "And how are you going to do that?"

He flashed a confident thumbs-up. "I've got it all thought out. First, I need you two to get out of there and board the 606. Judging by the structure of the white LFO, it won't be able to carry the lodged 909 for much longer. We'll have to let it go."

Holland stared downward at the shimmering sea despairingly. "No. I'm not willing to lose my 909 now."

"That's not a problem. With enough force, I'll be able to squeeze it through. However, you crashed it straight into the heating and equilibrium keepers of the white LFO. In other words, removing the 909 would cause incredible damage to the white LFO and make it nearly impossible to pilot. We'll have to leave the white LFO to crash."

Holland cleared his throat. "I see. Will the 606 be able to support the 909 back to the Gekko-Go, Renton?"

"Matthieu got the Nirvash back safely, and the 909 isn't nearly as big," he explained.

"Got it. Eureka, get in the 606 and take over for Renton. Have him sit in the back seat. I'll get in the 909 to make sure nothing happens to it. Start pulling it out in five minutes. Go!"

Before Renton could object, the transmission was cut. He sighed. _So Holland still doesn't approve of me…_

Holland released his grip on the elevation lever and rushed back to where he had tied down the enemy pilots. He lifted their eyelids and found, to his relief, unmoving eyes. They were still unconscious. He tossed his submachine gun to a corner and holstered one of their pistols. Both hands were now free.

Hoisting the small pilot over his back and dragging the heavier one, Holland slowly made his way back to where the 909 was located. He climbed aboard, tied the two pilots down, and climbed into the cockpit. Five minutes had passed—the 909 began budging outward.

Back in the 606, Renton sat behind Eureka with a discontented frown. _Eureka's doing what I was supposed to do…darn Holland, why did he have to be so…uh! Oh well…Eureka's safe. I kept my promise. Everything's okay now. Are you proud of me, sister?_

-

"Well?" questioned Hap. "How was it?"

Holland turned to his companion and looked at the gathering mass behind him. The whole crew of the Gekko State was present. He looked at the two SOF pilots standing at the point of his gun. Then he looked over to Eureka, who stood near Renton. "All went well."

Hap eyed the two enemy pilots. He noted their black uniforms and SOF patches. "You've captured some enemies. They'd do well as hostages. We can also question them to find out more about the ambush today."

"Yeah…throw them in the rig for now." He eyed his blood-soaked clothes. "I need a shower."

Hap saluted casually. "Got it."

Disappointed groans resounded from the group gathered in the landing dock. They had come to hear what had happened. Stoner, camera in hand, was quick to suggest a retelling of what had taken place. Holland refused adamantly, giving him a dangerous look that unmistakably implied "don't piss me off with another article about Eureka with Renton."

Stoner approached Eureka instead, braving Holland's stare. "Hey, Eureka. Would you mind telling us what happened?"

"Um…" she began. "I was captured and then Holland rescued me. We took control of the SH-102, but lost it. It crashed. Renton helped us get back. He was riding in the 606."

Matthieu exchanged a worried glance with Jobs.

Renton beamed. "It was nothing."

"About the 606…" said Holland. He faced Renton and glared at him. Beads of sweat dripped down Renton's neck. "You had permission to ride it, _correct_?"

Matthieu nudged Jobs. Jobs shook his head and whispered, "Don't make it worse."

Renton stood still, paralyzed with fear. "I…I…"

"In the brig, Renton," Holland commanded. "Kidnappers and thieves make good roommates."

Renton struggled to respond, to defend himself, but found Holland's presence too daunting. He hung his head and stood beside the two SOF pilots. The boy scanned around for help but found nothing but empathetic gazes. Eureka's face spelt confusion.

Holland handed the gun over to Matthieu. "Let them out when I'm ready."

Renton sighed. The day was not going well for him. As Matthieu urged the SOF pilots—who remained silent—onward with the pistol, Renton was trying to comprehend Holland's actions. _What's with him now, acting all high and mighty?_

As soon as they were away from everybody else, the younger pilot spoke to Renton: "So it seems the legendary reffer is not as composed as the magazines portray him. You have my pity, Renton Thurston."

Renton was baffled. "How do you know my name?"

"Your fake mission was the cover story of the latest issue of _rayout._ How could I not recognize you? That confused, naïve look gave you away instantly."

Renton took the opportunity to closely inspect him. Beneath his military cover was a mesh of curled brown hair that complimented his olive green eyes. He was rather young for a U.F. pilot, just a little older and taller than Renton. He was slim and fit. A genuine smile was on his face as he told Renton his name. "Greetings. My name is Bennington Brightside."

"Ah…"

"And my brother is named Chester." He pointed to the taller pilot, who gave a small nod. Chester looked just like Bennington, except much bigger and mature. Clearly, he wasn't the talkative sibling.

"Why are you being so friendly to me?" Renton asked.

Bennington smiled again. "Mr. Novak said that we shall be roommates for an uncertain duration. I would rather befriend our roommate than begin on bad terms."

Matthieu addressed Renton sternly. "Yo, Renton. Don't forget that these guys kidnapped Eureka and tried to kill Holland. Don't wanna get too friendly with them yet."

"We did what was deemed necessary by our superiors: to free the female pilot of the Nirvash typeZERO from the criminal organization known as Gekko Sate," Bennington explained to his captors. "Our goals are different from yours, and should the truth be revealed in your favor, I fear my views may change. However, know that the kidnapping of Eureka was a mission for us—a mission which failed. Do not look upon the Brightside brothers with distaste or ill favor, for we were just doing our job. _What's done is done_."

_He talks a lot, _thought Renton, returning the smile.

"Well, we're here," said Matthieu. Before them was the steel hatch leading to the brig. Renton's stomach lurched with dreadful familiarity. "Talho or Eureka will be bringing food. Until then, you're stuck in the brig."

Renton gave an audible groan. He crawled in with the Brightside brothers and Matthieu shut the hatch door. It was dark and cold.

-

Holland came out of the shower wearing his signature pair of underpants. Bandages were wrapped around his entire body, some already soaked through with blood. These were the open wounds, located on his shoulders. His neck supported a pale, plum bruise which spread down his back. All of these injuries had come from the thrashing he had received while in the 909.

He entered the room that he shared with Talho with towel in hand. The lights were off; the whitish glow of the television set illuminated the room's couch. A figure was lying down on the couch with bare legs hanging over the edge. The figure got up, creating a silhouette that any man would instantly find attractive. She walked slowly over to Holland and looked him head to toe. She smirked.

"What?" grumbled Holland.

The woman was dressed in nearly as little clothing as Holland: a spaghetti strap top and mini skirt, both colored purple and white and revealing beautiful skin. She possessed grey-toned eyes layered with a retired wisdom. This woman was Talho Yuuki, Holland's significant other.

"You look terrible," she said affectionately.

Holland's normally loud voice was now a meek whisper. "I almost lost Eureka today." Talho's eyebrows raised slightly, evidently peeved. "I almost…"

Talho put her hand on Holland's chest, sliding it down gently. "It's okay."

Holland pulled her in close. They embraced for a long time, lost in one another's warmth. Thoughts raced through their minds about the last time they had been alone like this before. It was several years ago, back in their U.F. days.

"Talho…do you remember when we first…"

"Yeah. I'm glad you're safe. Eureka too."

Warmth. Security. Relief. And then more warmth.

**End Chapter 3**


End file.
